For many years, unsterile cameras have been used in surgery by placing them into a sterile plastic bag or drape which has an opening in one end which fits around the camera attachment to mate to an optical connector called a "C" mount. However, the act of aligning the unsterile camera within the drape or bag for connecting to a "C" mount which fits through the hole in the drape and is threaded into the camera housing can create contamination. This always occurs if the connecting optic, such as a "C" mount must be replaced with a beam splitter or other device such as a different focal length "C" mount. Such manipulations do not preserve sterile integrity.
A sterile pouch for containing a standard still picture camera for use in an operating room is shown in
U.S. Pat. No. 2,537,303 to Cobb, Jr. et al. However, there is no thought in this device of connecting the camera to other optical means.
Other containers for protecting cameras for underwater photography are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,026,784 to Byers and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,821,759 to Vooght. Another camera case for protecting a camera during use is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,132,549 to Wenstrom. However, none of these are intended for use in an operating room to maintain the environment within the operating room in a sterile condition even when the camera is not sterile.
If properly constructed, the camera itself can be made sterile by soaking it in a sterilizing solution or through low temperature gas sterilization. However, a camera which can withstand such procedures, without being damaged, is very expensive so that many hospitals and small clinics can not afford it. However, small cameras are available which would be satisfactory for use in the surgical area if they can be placed in a sterile drape or cover which will maintain the surgical area in a sterile condition and which cover can be removed and disposed of after each operation and replaced with another similar sterile cover for the next operation.